Attorneys
If you were injured on the job in Iowa and then fired—whether immediately or months later—you may be wondering:
Can I still receive workers' compensation benefits after being terminated?
The short answer is yes. In Iowa, being fired does not automatically disqualify you from workers’ compensation benefits. If your injury was work-related and your claim is valid, your former employer (or their insurance carrier) is still legally required to provide medical care and financial benefits.
How Iowa Workers’ Compensation Works
You have the right to medical care and treatment for your entire lifetime for medical conditions that are caused by your work. This sounds great, but in reality is not as great as it sounds because if the insurance company finds a doctor to say that your condition is not work related then they will likely stop paying for your medical care.
The Iowa workers’ compensation system is designed to provide support to injured workers by offering the following benefits:
- Medical treatment costs
- Temporary or permanent wage replacement
- Vocational training or rehabilitation
- Mileage reimbursement for travel to medical appointments
- Compensation for permanent disability
Iowa law does not require you to prove fault. As long as your injury happened during the course of your employment, you’re eligible.
Can I Still Get Workers’ Comp After Being Fired in Iowa?
Yes. If you were injured on the job, your employer and their insurance provider are still responsible for your medical care and financial benefits, even if you're no longer employed.
It does not matter whether you were:
- Laid off after the injury
- Fired while receiving workers’ compensation
- Terminated before filing your claim
As long as your injury meets the requirements for a compensable claim, you remain eligible for benefits.
Medical Care: Under Iowa law your employer and/or their workers' compensation insurance company is allowed to direct your medical care to the doctors and other medical providers that they select. They are required to pay for the medical care in its entirety for your work injury related condition.
It is possible to switch the medical care to other medical providers by using a process called a petition for alternate medical care, but there are specific things that must be done.
TTD: This stands for temporary total disability and is a weekly check that you should receive when you are unable to work or you have restrictions that your employer is not willing or able to accommodate.
PPD: This stands for permanent partial disability and is designed to compensate an injured worker for their permanent loss. How much the PPD compensation should be depends upon a number of factors including the type of injury you have (scheduled vs. unscheduled), the severity of your injury, your impairment rating, etc.
A scheduled member injury means injuries to your hand, arm, finger, leg, foot, toes, hearing loss or eye. Whereas an unscheduled injury (also known as a body as a whole injury) means injuries to your shoulder, neck, back, brain, hip, tinnitus, CRPS (complex regional pain syndrome), mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety caused by a physical injury, and other conditions and disorders of the body.
Keep in mind that there are exceptions to these general rules in determining if your work injury is scheduled or unscheduled, such as:
- If you have 3 scheduled member injuries that occur at the same time.
- If you sustained a scheduled member injury and previously sustained a scheduled member injury to a different body part (known as a Second Injury Fund case).
- If you sustained injuries to 2 scheduled member injuries and are permanently and totally disabled.
The difference between these various types of work injuries and the compensation that you should receive for them is explained in much more detail in our Iowa workers compensation book that we offer for free to Iowa injured workers and their families.
Rate: This is the amount of your weekly TTD or PPD check. Your rate can be calculated in a number of different ways, but if you are paid by the hour then generally you look for 13 representative weeks of your wages prior to your work injury. If you had a short week because of illness, a vacation, or some other reason, then usually that week will be skipped in calculating your rate. You are allowed to count the gross number of hours each week multiplied times your normal hourly rate including shift differentials.
Settlement: Every week we receive many calls from injured workers who want to make sure they receive a fair "settlement". The word settlement can have many meanings in an Iowa workers compensation case because there are several different types of settlements and because some of your compensation should be paid without you settling your case. Generally, the insurance company should pay your impairment rating given to you by their doctors without you "settling" your case.
Sometimes, they will try to get you to sign settlement paperwork before paying your impairment rating which is not right. Other times they will say they will pay you the entire impairment rating, plus a few thousand dollars if you will settle your case.
How the Reason for Termination Affects Your Claim
While you may still qualify for workers' comp after being fired, the reason for your termination can affect what types of benefits you're entitled to—especially when it comes to wage loss compensation.
Fired Due to Layoffs or Downsizing
If you were let go due to corporate restructuring, downsizing, or a business shutdown, your benefits will typically continue as usual.
Fired for Cause (Policy Violations or Misconduct)
If you were fired for alleged misconduct, your employer may attempt to argue that your wage loss is no longer due to the injury, but due to your behavior. This may impact your eligibility for temporary disability benefits, especially if you were released for light-duty work.
However:
- Medical benefits still apply
- PPD may still be available
- You can challenge the denial of wage benefits
Fired in Retaliation for Filing a Workers’ Comp Claim
This is illegal in Iowa. If you were fired because you filed a workers’ compensation claim, you may also have grounds for a retaliation or wrongful termination lawsuit. In Iowa most employees are employees at will. The employer may not come out and say that is the reason but, if you are fired after your work injury, you may have a claim for wrongful discharge and should promptly contact an attorney as the time limits for filing a complaint can be short.
While the right to file for workers' compensation is an action protected by Iowa law, sometimes a worker’s employer may retaliate. If you’re an employee who filed a claim for workers’ compensation in Iowa and are worried that your employer may react negatively
Can My Employer Fire Me for Filing a Workers’ Comp Claim in Iowa?
No. Iowa law (Iowa Code § 85.18) prohibits employers from retaliating against employees for:
- Reporting a workplace injury
- Filing a claim for workers’ compensation
- Participating in or testifying in a workers' comp hearing
If your employer terminates you for exercising your workers’ compensation rights, you may be entitled to:
- Back pay
- Lost future wages
- Compensation for emotional distress
- Possible punitive damages
You should speak to an experienced Iowa workers’ compensation attorney if you believe you were fired in retaliation.
Common Employer Tactics to Deny Benefits After Termination
Employers and insurance carriers may try to avoid paying benefits by using the following tactics:
- Claiming your injury happened outside of work
- Arguing your termination was for unrelated misconduct
- Pressuring you to settle your claim quickly
- Refusing to approve medical treatment
- Denying TTD/PPD benefits after firing
It’s important to know that these tactics often have no legal basis, especially if your medical records support your injury and treatment needs.
Steps to Take if You’re Fired While on Workers’ Comp in Iowa
To protect your benefits and rights, take the following steps if you’re fired after filing a workers’ compensation claim:
1. Document Everything
Keep written records of your injury, your treatment, and the circumstances surrounding your termination. Save copies of:
- Termination letters
- Performance reviews
- Medical records
- Doctor’s work restrictions
2. Continue Your Medical Treatment
Do not stop seeing your authorized doctor. Missing appointments can give the insurance company an excuse to end your benefits.
3. Notify the Insurance Carrier
Let them know you’re still treating and still under work restrictions. Keep all communications in writing when possible.
4. Do Not Sign Anything Without Legal Advice
If you’re presented with a settlement offer, consult an attorney before accepting. Many initial offers are far below what you're legally entitled to.
5. Contact a Qualified Workers’ Compensation Attorney
Having legal representation ensures your claim is handled fairly and that your rights are protected—even if your employer is no longer cooperative.
Why You Should Contact an Iowa Workers' Compensation Lawyer
Workers’ compensation laws in Iowa are complex—and even more so when you’ve been fired. An experienced lawyer can help:
- Ensure you continue to receive medical treatment
- Secure wage replacement or settlement benefits
- Represent you in hearings before the Iowa Workers' Compensation Commissioner
- Protect you from retaliation
- Maximize your financial recovery
At Walker, Billingsley & Bair, we’ve helped thousands of injured Iowans successfully navigate the claims process—even after being terminated.
Your Responsibilities as an Injured Worker
Report Your Injury: While the law gives you up to 90 days from the date of when you knew or should have known your condition was work related, it is a good idea to report your work injury right away.
Some companies have policies that you are supposed to report the work injury within 24 hours and you should follow these policies. However, even if your employer has such a policy in place and you don't report it until 48 hours later, you have still complied with Iowa law.
Communicate with Your Medical Providers: The workers compensation doctors and their nurses are supposed to accurately and completely record your symptoms, how you were injured, etc. It is very important that you accurately and consistently tell your doctors how you were injured along with all of the symptoms you are having because of your work injury.
Be Ready and Willing To Work: If the workers compensation doctor says that you can return to work with restrictions, then you need to provide a copy of the restrictions to your employer and tell them you are ready to work within the restrictions.
If they offer you work, then you need to try to do it. We recommend that you keep a copy of your restrictions in your pocket in case someone asks you to do something outside of your restrictions. If you have problems doing the work within your restrictions then you should promptly notify your supervisor and also call the doctor's office about this. You may need a follow-up appointment with the doctor to discuss different restrictions. If your employer does not have work for you, then the insurance company should be notified so that you will receive a weekly TTD check.
As an injured worker there are other responsibilities that you have which we explain in more detail in our Iowa work injury book that is available to you at no cost. Just request the book and we will send it to you right away so you can read it in the comfort of your own home. As a bonus, watch our video series HERE which tells you 21 Things You Need to Know About Iowa Work Injuries. For immediate attention or to schedule your no cost work injury case review, Chat Here Now, contact us online or CALL (641) 792-3595 and ask to speak with one of our workers' compensation attorneys.
